To his shock, the Bright Eye started to convulse, and his back began to arch awkwardly. Its fingers elongated to claws, and its clothes were shredded from its body as it morphed into a luper. Fr. Castro was temporarily paralyzed by the fact that the almost two-meter tall luper was now a day-walker. But when the luper howled at him, his instinct for survival kicked in, and he went into full assault mode. He turned the luper’s body into a repository for silver-tipped bullets as he fired away. But even those had no effect on the luper. He cursed and quickly reloaded. If he would never see Rosanna again, he would at least take this day-walking luper with him.
The luper swung its left paw at Fr. Castro’s head, but Fr. Castro ducked to his right and stepped closer to the beast. Using the luper’s bent knee as a stepping stone, Fr. Castro lunged to the back of the beast, firing four rounds into the creature’s head. Each bullet made a clean exit, but the luper only dropped to one knee. It turned around to face Fr. Castro and narrowed its eyes. The luper wanted to make sure Fr. Castro witness how it healed itself. It wanted Fr. Castro to know that its weapons could not harm him anymore. It wanted Fr. Castro to feel defeated and helpless before it moved in for the kill. Fr. Castro received the message howled and clear. And then, the luper lunged.
But as the luper zipped towards Fr. Castro, a black blur zipped between Fr. Castro and the luper. The blur stopped, revealing a man completely covered from head to toe in a black, combat outfit, with a sword with a four-foot long blade in his right hand. The luper headless luper fell in front of Fr. Castro and turned to ash. Fr. Castro was too stunned to act.
“Scout the area!” ordered his savior.
“Yes, sir!” Fr. Castro replied and obliged.
Fr. Castro did not need anyone to tell him who his savior was. So, the rumors were true; that the O.R. had a group of very ‘special’ agents led by a mysterious figure that only the big boss knew of. Shi’mon and eight of his specially trained agents defused the attack at the Vatican as quickly as the attack had started. Shi’mon pressed a device in his right ear.
“Release the EMP!” he ordered into his radio and casually walked away from the scene.
***
RBS News: There have been multiple reports from London, Washington DC, Paris, Moscow, Jerusalem, Berlin, Bucharest and even the Vatican of strange creatures and psychotic people randomly killing and mutilating innocent civilians. Many sources describe their methods as horrific and gory…
KPT Network: What is most absurd is that there are no video recordings of any of these sightings; like absolutely nothing on the internet! So much for living in the twenty-first century! But one common trend with all these reports is that all electronic devices within as much as a mile radius were fried. Some people are speculating the government knows about this and is trying to keep it under wraps…
TCB: The President of the United States calls these vicious and senseless attacks and accuses the UMAH and IMUS terrorist groups. But both terrorist groups issued a statement saying, and I quote, “We bomb and behead people, not eat them!”
Al Hassud News Network: And who are these mystery men who suddenly show up and defuse these attacks? Reports talk of people moving too fast for the naked eye and these creatures turning to ash as soon as they are decapitated. Unfortunately, in the absence of concrete evidence, these claims remain speculations. Conspiracy theorists are having a buffet over these events. However, the similarity of the reports from different locations seems to suggest otherwise!
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: MARK OF A MOLE
“How did the Order know of our attacks?” Dreyko spoke as calmly, but everyone at the meeting knew Dreyko was anything but calm.
“Guessing from the way they operate,” Andrew replied swiftly, “At any given time, the order has agents in every major city in the world! Bucharest must have triggered and increased global presence for them.”
“Logical,” Danka said emotionlessly.
Andrew contained his relief. As the decades passed by, Danka had grown fonder of Andrew. Providing reliable and valuable, but selective, intelligence on the modus operandi of the O.R had sealed his position among the Bright Eyes. He had also proven to be a strong leader, and this had quickly moved him up the ranks until he was now Danka’s confidant. Andrew’s duties included, among other things, providing Danka with adult entertainment, much to Andrew’s displeasure. But it was a sacrifice he was willing to pay for the greater good. Their new relationship invoked Dreyko’s jealousy, which normally would have translated to Andrew’s painful execution. But he was now under Danka’s protection. Talk about a flawless victory!
“Still doesn’t explain how they knew of Bucharest,” Danka continued, and Andrew clenched his jaw.
“The Order keeps tabs on many things,” Andrew said without skipping a beat.
It was easier for him to lie because the lies were based on aspects of the truth. He maintained eye contact with The Twins, The Scientist, Sasha and other members at the meeting as he spoke. It was easier to fake confidence in his lies this way.
“Remember, they specialize in the paranormal, the abnormal and extraterrestrial,” Andrew continued. “They will respond to any claim of any sighting from any source. Believe me when I say that as soon as the crew received the video from him,” he glared at The Scientist, “the order increased its threat level alert. You all know the rest.”
“In hindsight,” The Scientist said, “I admit I should have taken Andrew’s counsel into serious consideration. Plus, I did not think that the new breed would be taken out so quickly.”
“I don’t know of any creature that can survive a decapitation,” Sasha’s sarcasm was almost intoxicating.
The Scientist blushed more from anger than anything else. After all he had done for these pathetic creatures the least they could do was not to humiliate him like this. More than six decades after the Berlin incident, he had finally been able to synthesize a serum that would turn these nocturnal, sewage crawlers into day-walkers. The blood sample Sasha had brought back that night had dried out; but the sample he had obtained from the wooden cross piece two millennia ago had remained the same. This was the sample he had used to synthesize the serum. He just had to wait for the next minor cosmic shift in in this realm. He had tried everything; from using spells to various concoctions without success. This was in the sixties.
It was now 2010, and the cosmic clock was counting down. Time, a most despicable concept in this realm, was not on his side. He had to get at least these creatures ready for the next vibrational shift. When the cosmic countdown was over, Creation would once again uplift those creatures that are ready and purge those that are not. After several failed attempts, The Scientist had decided to revise his strategy. He needed to find to common denominator between Yehuda, Shi’mon and the Twins’ father, whatever his name. A few weeks later, he found the answer: emotion!
Yes! Pure, untainted emotion was the answer. Shi’mon and Yehuda; consumed by guilt! The Twins’ father (he could not remember the man’s name): overwhelmed by desperation! The Twins; an interplay between parental and animal DNA and an abominable lust for each other. It was true that the two were merely twins by adoption. Danka’s assumed biological father had ‘died’, presumably under normal circumstances. But one can never underestimate the power of artificial insemination under the guise of a spiritual visitation from an angel of the Lord. The Scientist had had a hand in that visitation. His next step had been how to summon AND transfer pure emotion.
The Scientist had immediately returned to the lab after his epiphany. He took a sample of Yeshua’s blood from his reserves and placed it in a test tube. All he had to do was reach deep into his heart and summon some pure emotion. But that was a problem for him. Being from the Akasha, he did not partake in the whiles of concepts like emotions; at least, not the way the humans of Earth Realm did. He did not even have a heart! To succeed, he would have to relive a moment in his existence that was a major turning point for him. There was only one; the moment he had becom
e Chaos! He relived the moment and felt the full force the of darkness and betrayal. He visualized the feeling as a drop of water and dropped it into the test tube. He opened his eyes to see the blood sample glow with a pale, blue hue. Finally, success!
The first tests on the Bright Eyes were a huge success. At first, the Bright Eyes could not stay in the sun or UV light for more than twenty-four minutes. But as the weeks went by, they could last for up to twelve hours. Those had been the best days of their lives. They could play in the sun and even pretend to walk among the humans. For a moment, they felt human once again, at least until it was time to feed. Their inability to reproduce never changed, but that would be a situation to be resolved later. The Scientist was pleased with himself for creating the first group of day-walking Bright Eyes.
“We should have heeded to your counsel, Andrew,” Dreyko conceded and glared icily at The Scientist.
“However, I took the liberty of including one more location that was not a high priority target; Cameroon.,” Dreyko continued. “Does the order, have any particular interest in Cameroon, Andrew?”
“Not that I know of, your highness,” Andrew appeared to be confused. “Unless that changed in the last sixty years.”
“I do not think it did,” Dreyko continued, “and that is my point. Why would the order send an agent to a nation like Cameroon in the first place? More importantly, how did they even KNOW there that there would be an attack in Cameroon?” his eyes narrowed as he glared at everyone around the table.
“I smell death in the air!” Danka hissed sadistically as she rose from her seat.
Andrew had never seen her so furious, so feral and… So fine! DAMNATION! His cover was about to be blown, and all he could think of was how badly his testosterone drive was getting the better of him right that moment! Fear and quiet panic smothered the room.
“When we came up with this plan,” Dreyko continued with the same evil calm he had at the beginning of the meeting, “there were only six of us present; my sister and I, the doctor, Andrew, Sasha, and Ernesto.”
He leaned back in his chair.
“If you come forward now, your death will be quick and painless,” he assured them.
But they all knew Dreyko was lying. Whoever the mole was, his or her death would be anything but quick and painless. They all just stared at The Twins, and no one moved.
“So be it!” Dreyko said.
And without warning, Dreyko zipped, grabbed Andrew by the throat and slammed him on the wall ten feet away. Danka did the same to Sasha.
“You two are our biggest suspects!” Dreyko roared. “It seems as if your individual ties with Shi’mon and Yehuda have been rekindled!”
“Now, which one of you will be the first to confess?!” Danka roared as her face alone morphed into her beastly form, with her bright eyes boring into Sasha’s as Sasha struggled against Danka’s death grip around her throat.
“I assure you, your highness,” Andrew struggled to speak as Dreyko continued to squeeze his throat, “I am not a traitor! I have been nothing but loyal to you and your sister!”
“You have six seconds, Andrew!” Dreyko’s deep, calm baritone echoed across the room. “One, two, three-”
“Your highness,” Andrew said. “Please, don’t do this!”
“Four, five-”
“I’ll see you two in hell!” Sasha spat and vanished from the room, leaving a very surprised Danka grabbing at nothing.
“So, it was her!” Danka growled.
She used her transformation back to her human form to mask her relief that Andrew was not the mole. She will have her private moment of celebration with him later.
“She even moves like Yehuda!” Dreyko agreed and let Andrew drop to the floor. “I want her captured, and I want her brought back here, alive!”
“Let me lead in the search, your highness!” Andrew implored, picking himself from the ground. “I trained her in my combat skills, and I believe I am the best man for the job.”
“And just how do you intend to do that?” Danka asked.
“I’ll find a way, your highness,” Andrew replied. “Let me find her, your highnesses. Please!”
“Very well then, Andrew,” Dreyko conceded. “You bring her back, or I will have your head. Is that understood?”
“Yes, your highness,” Andrew replied, knowing nothing would make Dreyko happier than to see him fail.
As Andrew turned to walk away from the room, a luper burst in with another luper in tow. She dropped to a knee and ordered the other luper to do the same.
“Forgive my intrusion, your highnesses,” she said. “But I wouldn’t come in like this if I did not think it was important.”
“Speak!” Danka commanded.
“This is Mira from one of the villages nearby,” she continued. “I just turned her.”
“What do you mean you just turned her?” Danka asked walking slowly towards the two women.
The Scientist was also on his feet and walking towards the two lupers.
“Rise, you two!” Dreyko commanded before the luper could reply.
Both lupers did.
“Your highness,” the lady said, swallowed and cleared her throat. “I mean that she’s now one of us and I’m still alive!”
“And it just keeps getting better and better!” The Scientist exclaimed, grinning broadly as he gave both women quick physical examinations.
Even Dreyko managed a smile, which was an extremely rare behavior for him. He patted the bearer of the great news on the shoulder and dismissed both women.
“Thank you, your highness,” she said, and the ladies left the room.
“Are you getting this, brother?” Andrew asked telepathically.
“Yes, I am, brother,” Shi’mon replied telepathically. “The Bright Eyes can now multiply their numbers indefinitely!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: COUNTDOWN
Sasha sat cross-legged at the entrance to a cave facing west. She wanted to bask in the evening sun. It really did feel so amazing to be able to walk in the sun once again. There was snow all around her, but she did not care. She was a luper after all. Seeing the snow and playing in it were her moments of Zen. This was the least she could do to hold on to the last string of her humanity. She did look forward to the day when she would be human again. Here, on Mt. Kilimanjaro, was her sanctuary. Ever since Andrew had secretly taught her how to teleport, she had come here much more often. At first, she had to zip her way down to the tropics and then zip back to the lair. It was feasible, but it was exhausting sometimes. That was a very long to distance cover, even for a Bright Eye.
It was on this mountain that she had spent the most intimate and special days of her human life with her one, and only, true love, Yehuda. Fate had brought them together. She was out in the woods picking mushrooms when some passersby had attacked her. But a stranger had neutralized all eight of the assailants, leaving them with just enough strength and unbroken bones to carry their bodies to their horses. The stranger’s brown robes did not mask the caked-up dirt on them and he was unkempt. She was still on the ground, clothes were ripped, and her arms were bruised, when he walked up to her.
***
“Are you alright, milady?” he had asked, extending his hand towards her.
“Yes, sir, I am” she had replied, taking his hand.
He helped her to her feet.
“A little bruised, but I am alright,” she added as she brushed the dirt off her hair and torn garments.
“Gratitude, sir! You saved me!” she continued and raised her eyes to meet his.
She gasped, cupped her mouth with her hands and took an involuntary step backward. In those eyes, she had seen a fire that burned without heat. In those eyes, she had seen a cauldron of pain, loss, grief, anger, guilt, and shame. In those eyes, she had seen a man who once had it all and then lost it all. She had seen total strength and utter powerlessness. In those eyes, she had seen life without life. In those eyes, she had seen a lifeless void. A tear had ru
n down her right cheek, and the stranger had averted his eyes to the ground.
“You are welcome, milady,” he had replied, turn around and headed deeper into the forest.
She just stood there, sobbing silently for a total stranger.
“You should head home now, milady!” he added, without looking back at her.
Sasha had regained herself and headed back home. Her adopted family had feared that something terrible had happened to her when they had laid eyes upon her, but Sasha had assured them she was fine. She had then recounted what had transpired in the forest and how a mysterious stranger had come to her aid. Sasha was nineteen years old then and she had been with her adopted family for a decade. Before that, she was a homeless child, wandering and foraging through the streets for survival, after escaping the orphanage with three of her friends. The head nun at the orphanage was a vile creature of a human.
The head nun took pride in constantly reminding Sasha how worthless Sasha was, especially since Sasha’s mother had dumped Sasha as a baby. Sasha’s mother did not want a child to hamper her flourishing career as a fancy lady and purveyor of erotic pleasures for men and women. But Sasha had not been the only victim of head nun’s verbal and physical abuse. Not a single orphan was spared. One day, Sasha had decided to try her luck on the streets, rather than put up with that hell of an orphanage. She would rather die out there than spend another day in that orphanage.
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